Melbourne mother of two allegedly stabbed to death in front of three teenagers in Bayswater by her neighbor is identified

A Melbourne mother of two who was allegedly murdered by her traditional neighbor as three teenagers watched has been identified as Vicky Van Aken.

Her neighbor Milorad Zaric, 47, was charged with murder outside her home in Bayswater in the city’s east on Saturday morning.

Zaric, dressed in a white forensic suit, remained silent as he appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Sunday

The court heard the carpenter was withdrawing from drugs and alcohol.

Magistrate Ross Betts rejected a request to extend the time for delivering a letter after Victoria Police said they needed additional weeks to sift through the large amounts of evidence, including forensic material, CCTV and drug analysis.

Zaric was taken into custody to appear in court on February 14, 2025.

Emergency services were called to a property in Bayswater on Saturday after receiving reports that a woman had been stabbed at 11.15am.

They arrived to find Mrs Van Aken, 51, dead outside the house.

Police claim three teenagers witnessed the horrific attack, which left one with minor injuries.

“It is not a domestic violence incident,” Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Ellway said on Saturday.

‘It is a tragic combination of circumstances. Another woman lost at the hands of a man is just devastating.”

Shocked neighbors said Ms Van Aken and her family were new to the area but had been seen trick or treating before Halloween.

Ms Van Aken, who worked at Australia Post according to her LinkedIn profile, often posted about her children on social media.

The alleged murder took place in the presence of three teenagers, including Zaric’s 17-year-old son. Herald Sun reported.

The teen was taken to hospital with cuts to his hand.

It’s not it was known whether he tried to dissuade his father from the alleged stabbing of Mrs. Van Aken.

It is not thought that she and Zaric had any issues between them, nor were they thought to be in a relationship.

Detective Ellway said there was little to no confrontation before Ms. Van Aken was killed.

“It appears as if the (alleged) perpetrator went to the victim’s home and she opened the door and was then attacked and subsequently died from her injuries,” he said.

Zaric was initially taken to hospital with a ‘medical complaint’.

‘We are not looking for anyone else. It is an isolated incident,” Detective Ellway said.

Neighbor Glenn Rowe said he was “a little shocked” by the incident.

“I’ve lived here 25 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said.

‘It’s a bit surreal. It’s terrible, I feel sorry for the children and the mother.’